


Living In Plain Sight

by Androgene



Series: Living In Plain Sight [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: M/M, Merman Kaidan, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:15:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22156879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Androgene/pseuds/Androgene
Summary: Kaidan is a merman, a creature straight out of Earth's myths and fairy tales.He keeps his origins a secret though it has never really bothered him, probably because he has never thought himself as a merman in hiding, more like a biotic human with something extra.But these are the end times, and fighting and living with the man he loves means somehow secrets have a way of being uncovered.
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Series: Living In Plain Sight [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594864
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Day in the Sun](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20981543) by [MaxRev](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxRev/pseuds/MaxRev). 



> This is my first fanfic after more than 10 years, and I'm writing in a fandom which I have never played the games for. So how did I end up in this fandom? I blamed Youtube; it's not my fault that one day a clip on Male Shepard/Kaidan Alenko romance showed up on my suggestion feed. I watched it and I was hooked. I did watched other pairings, but to be honest, I always thought Kaidan Alenko makes the most realistic LI for Shepard, be it male or female. He's just so down-to-earth and steady, quite the perfect foil to Shepard's epic heroics.
> 
> I'm kinda rusted after not writing for such a long time. I'll welcome any critical feedback.
> 
> Many thanks to MaxRev who has given me permission to link his fic "A Day In The Sun' to mine. My entire fic was a direct inspiration from his.

_2181 Despoina_

_Location: Milky Way / Sigurd’s Cradle / Psi Tophet System / First planet_

Kaidan Alenko watched in growing horror the Triton AD teetering dangerously at the edge of the floating shipwreck. It was obvious that the Triton was having trouble compensating for the continuous swaying of the shipwreck on the choppy ocean. At the most inopportune moment, its hatch popped open and the sudden motion was enough to tip the Triton – and its occupant – backward over the edge and right back into the ocean.

“Shepard!”

Kaidan immediately leapt from his cover and dashed for the spot where the Triton had fallen from, heedless of the advancing ground Reaper troops. Dimly, he could hear Liara and Cortez shouting behind him, but he paid them no mind. There was no time to do anything else except dive into the ocean while simultaneously executing a biotic trick he’d mastered a long time ago but never used – until now.

He hit the water in a clean arc and immediately started sinking, which was what he wanted. While his Alliance-blue hard armour was lighter than it looked, it was still heavy enough to prevent him from floating back to the surface. At the same time, he summoned up a biotic barrier and drew it so close to his skin that it was _under_ his armour and clothes. He built up the static charge as quickly as he could and released it in an explosive discharge that tore his armour and shredded his clothes from his body.

Only then could he focus on the Shift.

The Shift was always the hardest part for him. He’d spent so little time in his true form that he could no longer Shift instinctively. Now, on an alien world, it became even more difficult. The song of the ocean was different here, strange and alien; Kaidan thought it almost felt sentient. Twice, he tried to Shift and failed. On his third attempt, he diverted precious awareness away from his surroundings to reach deep within himself and finally, he managed to invoke the Shift.

Kaidan was never certain if it was just him or a trait inherent in those like him but Shifting always hurts. Pain coursed down his body when his naked legs fused into a silvery tail, and dorsal fin spines pushed through the skin on his naked back and unfurled into a long gossamer-thin fin that ran down the length of his back and tail. His fingers ached as webs grew between the digits and so did his jaws when his teeth elongated and sharpened. He blinked several times as thick transparent membranes grew over his eyes even as they shifted to adjust to the watery environment. His nostrils pinched close to keep the water out when gills emerged in his neck and took over the task of breathing. His first breath underwater after every Shift never failed to feel like drowning when he drew water into his mouth and expelled it through his gills, but saving Shepard was paramount and he ruthlessly shoved down the very-human instinct to panic and let the Shift ran its course.

Shifted to his true form, Kaidan poured on the speed. His tail swaying powerfully to propel him forward, he glided down through the water, chasing after the fast-sinking Triton, and once within range, cast Lift at it to halt its descent. While the biotic field lifted it back up through the water, Kaidan quickly swam towards it and peered anxiously through the transparent hatch.

To his horror, the driver’s seat was half-filled with water and Shepard was trying to work the controls. His movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, and his pale face pinched and strained. His long dive into the ocean depths had clearly taken a toll on him.

Kaidan urgently tapped the hatch to catch Shepard’s attention and hand-signed to him: _Stay still and awake. Bringing you up to the surface. Signal if you understand._

Weakly, Shepard curled the fingers of his left hand into an ‘ok’ sign.

That was good enough for Kaidan. _Ok_ , he signed back.

With a swish of his tail, Kaidan swam below the Triton and proceeded to push and nudge it in the direction of the shipwreck as it drifted upwards. When the biotic bubble dissipated, he immediately cast another Lift around the Triton and kept it steadily floating upward and towards the shipwreck. It was a slow process; he dared not allow the Triton to ascend too quickly as decompression sickness was a real concern. After what seemed like an eternity and casting Lift twice more, they finally reached the surface.

“Shepard! Do you read me?!” Kaidan peered anxiously into the hatch, tapping urgently at his earpiece, hoping it was not been damaged from the stress and abuse he had put it through. “John!”

“…Kaidan?”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m going to pop the hatch and get you out of there. Hang on!” Kaidan searched the front of the Triton for the switch. “Cortez, talk to me! I got Shepard.”

“Good to hear your voice, Major.” Cortez’s calm voice came through his earpiece clearly. “I don’t know what the Commander did, but the pulse is offline. Where the hell are you and the Commander?”

Kaidan took a quick look. “Close by, near where I jumped off.”

“Keep as close as you can to the shipwreck, Major. We’re coming to get you.”

“Roger that.” Kaidan finally succeeded in opening the Triton’s hatch. Immediately, water began to pour into the driver’s seat even as he reached in and unceremoniously dragged his lover out of the sinking mech. Swimming and dragging Shepard away from the sinking Triton, Kaidan manoeuvred themselves to float on their backs while treading water to keep close to the shipwreck.

With the arm hooked under Shepard’s armpit and across his chest, Kaidan tapped his lover on his icy cold cheek. “Shepard, can you hear me?”

He did not hear a reply. Judging from the limpness in Shepard’s body, he was clearly unconscious which was worrisome.

Kaidan looked up when he heard the familiar sounds of the Kodiak. He spied the drop shuttle slowly circling above them. One of its cargo doors was open and Liara stood by it, clearly searching for them. With a quick mnemonic gesture of his free arm, Kaidan threw a flare of glowing biotic energy up into the air.

It worked because he saw Liara shouting and gesturing at them. Moments later, the Kodiak drifted to a hovering stop a short distance above them and Liara tossed the Kodiak’s rescue flotation towards them. Kaidan did not need to be told what to do. He was familiar with the water rescue drill, and he quickly secured the rescue flotation around Shepard and himself and allowed Liara to reel them in.

“Damn it, we got a Reaper inbound! It’s headed straight for us!” he heard Cortez shouting from the cockpit as Liara grabbed and hauled them on board, rescue flotation and all. They collapsed onto the deck in an unceremonious heap.

“We’re in! Go!” Liara shouted back even as she hit the button to close the cargo door.

The Kodiak was not exactly manoeuvrable but one couldn’t know that from the way Cortez piloted it. Climbing steeply upward, the shuttle pitched and rolled to port, avoiding the grasping claws of the Sovereign-class Reaper by mere meters. Inside, unharnessed to the seats, its occupiers rolled with it. Liara managed to grab a hold-bar but Kaidan and Shepard were not so lucky.

Still in his true form and secured together by the rescue flotation, Kaidan could only wrap his arms and upper body about Shepard’s head and torso protectively as they slid and tumbled across the deck of the shuttle. They slammed into the hull, Kaidan’s back first, and he let out a grunt of pain. He squeezed his eyes shut and just hanged tightly onto his lover when the Kodiak rattled as it flew through the wake of the Reaper’s passage. Soon, the Kodiak’s flight smoothed out and Kaidan was able to let go of Shepard.

Concerned for the safety of his passengers, Cortez hurriedly logged in the flight path and twisted around to check on them. “We’re on route back to the Normandy…,” his mouth opened and closed but he had no words for what he was seeing.

Keenly aware of Cortez’s and Liara’s amazed stares, Kaidan ducked his head self-consciously. High time to Shift back, but before he could do so, Shepard suddenly went into a coughing fit and groggily sat up.

Everyone’s attention immediately swivelled to their Commander.

Self-consciousness forgotten, Kaidan eyed him anxiously. “Shepard, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Helluva head…ache…” Shepard’s voice trailed off when he finally laid eyes on Kaidan.

Kaidan’s blood went cold when he saw Shepard’s reaction. _Shit_ … The fear was a real thing he could taste. “You didn’t know,” he whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

For a long moment, Kaidan and Shepard stared at each other, not knowing how to react, until finally the weight of so many stares got to Kaidan and he dropped his gaze. With the fear for Shepard’s safety gone, he became acutely conscious of the fact he was lying on the shuttle’s deck at the feet of his squadmates, his true form completely exposed to scrutiny. He didn’t quite like the feeling of being so helpless and vulnerable at all.

Shifting back to his human form was much easier: the yearning to walk on two legs was always strong and therefore much easier to tap into. It did not mean that the Shift to human form was any less painful. His tail splitting back into human legs always hurt and he retched onto the deck as his torso muscles convulsed and expelled any water that might have accidentally gotten into his lungs. Kaidan prayed hard that none of his delicate marine appendages had been injured during their rough escape from the planet and was profoundly relieved when he reverted to his human form without any additional pain than what he was already familiar with. If he had been seriously injured in his true form, he would not be able to Shift. The thought of Doctor Chakwas and the rest of his shipmates seeing his true form…Kaidan immediately shoved the thought away. That was not happening. No point thinking about it.

Human once more, Kaidan stood up, wincing as various aches and pains in his body made themselves known. Liara immediately handed him a thermal blanket she’d dug out from the survival kit even as she politely averted her gaze. “I think you need this more than Shepard does.”

Kaidan felt his cheeks burned with embarrassment. It was one thing to be naked for only Shepard’s pleasure in the privacy of the captain’s cabin but quite another in public. He gratefully accepted the thermal blanket and wrapped it around himself, making sure that he was fully covered before daring to look at Shepard again.

His lover was still as a statue in his seat. Shepard hadn’t once taken his gaze off him, but his face was expressionless. Kaidan recognised the retreat for what it was: Shepard was almost never expressionless unless he was uncertain.

“Commander,” Cortez’s call broke the silent awkward standoff they were having. “I have Ann Bryson on the comms.”

Shepard finally stirred. “Put her through.”

Relieved to have his lover’s attention off him and yet nervous at the same time, Kaidan sank down into the nearest seat, clutching the thermal blanket securely about himself.

Liara sat down beside him, her expression sympathetic and curious at the same time. “I didn’t know there are humans who can change their form.”

Kaidan hesitated, wondering how much he should say. Secrecy was what protected him and those like him, but this was Liara. He could trust her. “I’m not…exactly human, Liara, I always keep this part of me hidden.”

“May I ask why?”

“Humans are sure those like me only exist in myths and fairy tales. It’s preferable, safer.”

Liara nodded in understanding. “I won’t ask further.”

“Thanks.” Kaidan sneaked another nervous peek at Shepard.

“He’ll come around to it.”

Kaidan’s gaze darted back to Liara who gave him a reassuring smile. “Shepard’s love for you isn’t so shallow. Right now, he’s just surprised.”

“Yeah.” But Kaidan wasn’t sure. He was the stuff of fairy tales and fairy tales seldom have happy endings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally figured out the title for Part 1. It's been staring at me in the face all these times: Living in Plain Sight.
> 
> I'm quite encouraged by the initial responses to Chapter One. I hope I get more because I'm keen to get constructive feedback about my writing. I'm planning to do a big upload over this weekend since I'll be going on a long vacation in February, and that means I'll probably only be able to do 1 or 2 postings at the most for Feb.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a long tense moment of confusion when Doctor Chakwas climbed into the Kodiak. When she saw Kaidan seated and wrapped in a thermal blanket and Shepard standing by the comms, she immediately headed straight for the biotic Major.

Kaidan immediately waved her off. “I’m all right, Doctor Chakwas.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, Major.”

“No, seriously, I’m all right. It’s Shepard you need to check. He was unconscious when we pulled him out of the ocean.”

Chakwas’ sceptical expression when she glanced at Shepard and back at him spoke volumes. Kaidan could not blame her. Even though it was Shepard who needed medical attention, it did seem as though he was the one put through the wringer. But there was no way in hell Kaidan was going to tell the good doctor that he was naked under the thermal blanket or explain how he had lost his armour.

Fortunately, Liara intervened. “It’s true, Doctor Chakwas. Shepard wasn’t just unconscious; he was drenched and freezing to the touch. Kaidan had to warm him up the old-fashioned way.”

“In his armour?”

“When he heard we have you on stand-by for our arrival, Shepard insisted on pulling his armour back on before we docked,” Liara answered without missing a beat. She kept a straight face while explaining further, “He’s surprisingly shy when it comes to body modesty.”

Doctor Chakwas stared at Liara for a long moment, clearly unconvinced by her explanation. Then she caught sight of Shepard trying to sneak out of the shuttle while her attention was diverted and immediately switched her focus to the Commander.

Kaidan had to hide a smirk as the motherly doctor immediately brought Shepard to heel with nothing more than a stern look. “Thanks,” he murmured to Liara.

“You’re welcomed.”

Standing and hiding a wince as stinging pain burned in his left calf, Kaidan headed for Cortez who was still in the cockpit, powering down the Kodiak.

“Cortez.”

The black man looked up from his task and blinked when he saw Kaidan standing behind him. “You all right, sir?”

“Yeah.”

“And the Commander?”

Kaidan grinned. “He’s in Doctor Chakwas’ tender care.”

Cortez glanced out of the cockpit window and chuckled at the sight. “That he is.”

“Look, Cortez, I want to talk to you about what you saw.”

“Saw?” Cortez put on a puzzled expression. “I was in this cockpit all the time, concentrating on getting us out of danger and back to the Normandy.”

Kaidan paused. That was as good as an answer from the sensible and loyal Lieutenant. He relaxed. “Thanks, Steve, for getting us out of there."

“Don’t mention it.”

Kaidan disembarked from the Kodiak, cringing at the feel of the icy deck beneath his bare feet. He was about to make a beeline for his locker when Doctor Chakwas called out to him. “I expect to see you in the medical bay in the next few minutes, Major Alenko.”

“But I’m all right,” Kaidan protested.

“I saw you winced, Kaidan. Don’t make me order you there,” Shepard said.

Kaidan frowned at Shepard, a little hurt that he would take Chakwas’ side, but his lover only arched a brow at him. Grumbling under his breath, but secretly relieved that Shepard seemed to be recovering his good humour, Kaidan stomped over to his locker, pulled out his uniform and boots before heading for the lift. While his feet were dry enough to wear boots, he was not going to put on his dry uniform without first getting a shower. If that meant he had to sit through a medical examination and walking through the ship wrapped in a thermal blanket, then so be it, dignity be damned.


	4. Chapter 4

True to his claim, Kaidan soon left the medical bay with a clean bill of health from Doctor Chakwas. Unlike Shepard, who had to stay in the medical bay while Doctor Chakwas treated him for fluid in his lungs, the only injury Kaidan received from his reckless rescue was a bloodied scrape on his left calf – a result from being tossed around in the Kodiak during their escape from Despoina. Chakwas was a little surprised and Shepard…

Shepard hadn’t displayed any overt sign of suspicion or surprise at Chakwas’ verdict. The Commander, stripped to his underwear, had laid on a medical bunk and watched quietly while Chakwas examined Kaidan. That, by itself, was unusual; Shepard was never a good patient and it put Kaidan on the edge. He was highly conscious that the Commander’s blue gaze, though tired, remained sharp and inquisitive and never strayed from him throughout his medical check-up. Usually, feeling Shepard’s attentive gaze on him made him fluster, but this time, all it made him want to do was to flee that penetrative gaze.

He was soon able to, but he knew it was just a reprieve. Shepard would want to talk; he would want to know the truth, and Kaidan had better use the reprieve to figure out what to tell his lover. But first, there was something he needed to do. He quickly showered, re-dressed his wound and donned a fresh set of uniform, and headed straight for the shuttle bay.

When he stepped out, Cortez waved him over and handed him a datapad. “Major, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve taken the liberty to fill up a requisition form for your new armour and weapon.”

Kaidan read through the datapad, brows quirking upwards in surprise at the detailed thoroughness. “Wow, you worked fast, Cortez. Thanks, man.”

“You’re welcomed. Your new armour and weapon should be ready when we call in at the Citadel in a few weeks’ time. Also, I found something of yours while cleaning the Kodiak. I’ve put it on top of your locker.”

Kaidan frowned, wondering what Cortez meant. He was practically naked and weapon-less when he hauled ass from the ocean. Unless Cortez meant something else…

Groping at the top of his locker, Kaidan found a small flat object wrapped in a piece of rag. Just from the feel of it, he knew immediately what it was. A quick peek confirmed his suspicion. It was a scale from his tail, smaller than his fist, that was torn off during their bumpy flight for safety. The shape of it corresponded to the bloodied scrape on his leg. Kaidan quickly rewrapped it and tucked it into his pocket.

“Thanks, Cortez.” He called out to the Lieutenant.

“No problem.”

With one less worry, Kaidan headed back up to the galley on Deck 3. He was famished after all his exertions and he needed to eat and hopefully, he could come up with an explanation for Shepard soon. A quick look through the window of the medical bay told him that Shepard hadn’t been released yet. Assured that he still had time, he whipped up a double portion of MRE rations allocated to biotics. He had just sat down to eat when Liara emerged from her quarters.

She took an energy drink from the galley and joined Kaidan at the bench. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat this much in one sitting before.”

Kaidan let out a self-conscious chuckle. “Apparently, using biotics while I was, you know, seems to use up a lot more energy than I’m accustomed to. So, tell me what happened while I was swimming after Shepard’s ass.”

“It was the oddest sight. The Reapers turned on each other.”

“What?”

“It started with one of the Brutes. It simply just turned around and started attacking the other Brutes. The husks and Marauders followed suit. Very soon, all of them were distracted from fighting us. Steve was able to use their distraction to get the shuttle up and running, and we took off from the shipwreck without further harassment.”

“And the inbound Reaper?”

“Steve told me later that it suddenly lost power in mid-air and fell into the ocean. That was why he had swerved so sharply to port without warning.”

“What do you think might have happened to cause that?”

“I have a theory. I think, and I doubt I’m wrong, Shepard somehow convinced Leviathan to join the fight and they, through the orbs, were able to seize control of the Reapers and manipulate them.”

Kaidan thought about it as he continued eating. “Make sense.”

“I wonder what they are like?” Liara mused. “We know from the cave drawings that they are as big as Sovereign-class Reapers but nothing of their nature. Are they military-inclined and pragmatic like the turians or an insufferable proud race like the Protheans?”

“You’ll just have to ask Shepard, after Doctor Chakwas release him, of course.”

“Hopefully they can help turn the tides of war.” Liara’s expression darkened. “If only we found them before the Thessia mission. Maybe they could have prevented the Reaper invasion.”

“Don’t brood on the ‘what-ifs’, Liara. It’s just a shortcut to madness. We’ll beat the Reapers and get Thessia back.”

“Yes, yes, we will. Thanks, Kaidan.”

In companionable silence, Kaidan finished his meal and after bidding goodnight to Liara, retired to the starboard observation lounge for much-needed sleep. Yes, the talk with Shepard still loomed large in his mind, but as digestion set in and he finally decompressed, he discovered he was too exhausted to think straight.

He laid down on the reclining settee and thought longingly of Shepard’s bed. It was larger and far more comfortable; they have spent every night since their lunch at Apollo’s in it. But now he wasn’t sure of his welcome. Shepard was a good and decent man, Kaidan loved him with all his heart and he knew Shepard loved him just as deeply, but his secret… he honestly has no idea how Shepard would react. His non-reaction on the shuttle ride back to the Normandy was worrying, Kaidan prayed it was Shepard being surprised and nothing else.

Kaidan thought he would spend a restless night worrying, but sleep came surprisingly fast. The next thing he knew was the sensation of someone stroking the side of his face and a low voice gently rousing him awake.

“Hmmm?” he peered blearily up at the world-weary visage of Shepard. “…John? Chakwas released you already?”

“Yeah. Come to bed, Kaidan.”

“…You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Come on. Cute as it is, I’m not carrying your heavy ass up to my cabin.”

“It’s not cute,” Kaidan mumbled as he hauled himself up onto his feet with Shepard’s help.

“Believe me, it’s cute. I’ve ordered Joker to make for Horizon, so watch your steps, Major. Don’t want you to crack your head over a simple task like walking before our next mission. Why were you sleeping down here anyway?”

“I… wasn’t sure.”

“About what?”

Mind clearing somewhat, Kaidan paused mid-step and looked solemnly at his lover. “You know what.”

“We’ll talk in the morning,” Shepard told him. “After we have gotten some rest. Right now, both of us are too tired to do anything else.”

Kaidan nodded his acquiescence.

Together, arms around each other, they quietly made their way to the elevator. In Shepard’s cabin, they undressed and while Kaidan crawled into bed, Shepard headed for the bathroom for a shower and his usual ablutions. Soon he joined Kaidan in bed, automatically reaching out to pull the human biotic into his arms.

Wrapping an arm around Shepard’s waist, Kaidan smiled sleepily when he felt Shepard planting a quick kiss on the top of his head, something he always did every night. “So glad you’re with me, John.”

“Yeah, me too.” Shepard ran a hand through Kaidan’s messy raven curls. “Never be unsure of your presence here. I’ll always want you with me.”

Kaidan relaxed. He hadn’t realized he needed to hear that until Shepard said it. He pressed a kiss against Shepard’s chest, right above his beating heart. “I know that now.”

“Go to sleep, Kaidan. It’s been a long day.”

Kaidan closed his eyes and did just that.


	5. Chapter 5

The smell of food woke Kaidan up. That, and the absence of Shepard from the bed. Yawning, Kaidan rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up. Shepard was sitting at the small couch, reading a datapad while eating from a meal tray. He wore only his boxer briefs and N7 hoodie and looked extremely comfortable as he read and ate at the same time. In front of him, on the coffee table, was a couple more datapads and a second meal tray, covered.

“Morning,” Kaidan greeted after clearing his throat. “What time is it?”

“Almost eight.”

“What? You let me sleep in that long?”

“You needed sleep. I figured it might have something to do with your…,” Shepard hesitated, “what you went through yesterday.”

“You figured?”

“I bumped into Liara when I went to collect our breakfast. She told me you had a bigger-than-usual meal portion last night. I don’t remember much but I did remember you exerting quite a bit of energy pulling me out of the ocean.”

Kaidan got out of bed, stretched and padded over to Shepard and leaned down for a morning kiss, then a second morning kiss; actually, make that three. He would never get enough of kissing Shepard, not in a million years. “How are you feeling?” he asked Shepard.

“Better now.”

“You know, I thought fluid in the lungs requires overnight observation, at least.”

Shepard looked a little sheepish. “I couldn’t sleep in the medical bay, so Chakwas released me on the condition that I sleep in my bed and spend the morning off duty.”

Kaidan looked meaningfully at the datapad in Shepard’s hand. “I don’t think she’d consider that as staying off-duty, John.”

“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

“You mean ‘hurt you’.”

Shepard shrugged. “Breakfast?”

“In a minute. I need the bathroom.”

Kaidan placed another light kiss on Shepard’s lips before making his way to the cabin’s bathroom. He quickly went through his morning ablutions. Like Shepard, he had gone to bed the previous night in just his boxer brief and now, he put on his Alliance hoodie only and rejoined Shepard on the couch. Pulling the covered meal tray towards him, Kaidan dug in with a hearty appetite. Beside him, Shepard soon put down his datapad and joined him in eating breakfast.

“How long before we get to Horizon? And have you reported to Admiral Hackett about Leviathan?” Kaidan asked once he had taken the edge off his hunger.

Shepard nodded. “We won’t arrive for another seven hours and I spoke to Hackett earlier in the morning. He’s already got people working all over my report. Seems like they are calling it the Leviathan Codex.”

Kaidan paused in mid-bite. He was sure last night was one of the rare nights his lover was able to sleep through without having nightmares. “When did you write up the report? You were in the medical bay for a long time.”

Shepard looked embarrassed, “That’s the other reason Chakwas had to release me. Said I was distracting her with my work instead of just lying there quietly.”

Kaidan snorted. He should have known.

They finished breakfast in companionable silence and stacked the meal trays near the door to be returned to the galley when they leave the cabin. Then they snuggled on the couch, Shepard wrapping an arm around Kaidan’s shoulders as they sipped their coffee.

“Is Edi monitoring us right now?” Kaidan asked softly.

“No. I told her to shut off all recording in my cabin until further notice. Spectre business.”

“Spectre business, huh?"

“Short of an immediate Reaper attack, I don’t want us to be disturbed.”

“Good.”

“Are you ready to talk now?”

“I don’t know where to start, to be honest.”

“How about yesterday? On the shuttle ride back to the Normandy, you seemed surprised that I didn’t know that you’re a mermaid.”

“Merman,” Kaidan corrected. “The males are called mermen. And I was surprised. Up to that point, I truly thought you knew. That’s why I never told you.”

“What made you think that?”

Kaidan ducked his head in embarrassment. “The aquarium.”

“The aquarium? What has my aquarium got to do – wait,” Shepard’s brows furrowed. “The way you reacted the first time you saw my aquarium…I’ve always felt that your reaction was different. Everyone else got over their surprise and amusement quickly and moved on, but not you. It bugged you during the entire time you were up here. You also immediately and correctly identified it as a saltwater aquarium even though I know keeping fish was not a hobby you’re familiar with.”

Kaidan sat up to look at his lover. “You weren’t all that far from the truth. I was bothered by the fact you have an aquarium in your cabin. Let’s be honest, no one in their right mind would install a large aquarium onboard a military starship. It’s extravagant, takes up a lot of the ship’s resources and is a dangerous hazard. Furthermore, it’s a saltwater aquarium which requires more maintenance. Put yourself in my place: what would you think when you discover that your lover has a saltwater aquarium big enough to contain a man in his cabin on a ship built by Cerberus who is already aware of your relationship?”

“That somehow Cerberus had found out about you being a merman and built the aquarium for you. That somehow they have told me about you.”

“Exactly.”

“But they don’t know, I’m sure of it.”

Kaidan shrugged. “I guess we’ll never find out.”

“Will you tell me?”

“It isn’t just my secret to tell, John. You must swear to tell no one.”

Shepard’s blue gaze was earnest and steady even as he grasped Kaidan’s hand in his. “I swear it, Kaidan. Your secret is mine as well.”

Kaidan relaxed when he heard Shepard’s promise. He knew his lover would never betray his trust.

“I was seven when I found out I was a merman. Before that, I grew up like any other normal human children except one with problematic biotic abilities. A boating accident changed all that.

One spring day, one of our neighbours told me that they had spotted a small pod of humpbacks swimming into a nearby inlet. It’s rare to have them so close to land and I wanted to watch them, so I begged my dad to take me out on the family yacht. I was so excited on that trip; it was my first time out on the yacht, and I couldn’t wait to watch the whales feed. Throughout the trip, I kept leaning over the railing. I was sure that if I leaned out far enough, I could get a better view of them. One of the whales, it swam so close to the yacht that its tail accidentally jostled it. It wasn’t a deliberate hit, but I was leaning far over the railing and the force was enough to throw me off-board and into the water.

I remember panicking and struggling in the water, I couldn’t breathe, and I didn’t know how to swim yet, I just remember wanting to live. I think my biotics flared too, but I couldn’t be sure. I remember feeling a sharp pain in my legs and then suddenly I could breathe underwater. I passed out and the next thing I know I woke up on the yacht and my legs weren’t legs anymore. Instead, I had a tail and there were other fish-like appendages growing out of me.”

“You must have been terrified.”

“I was. Turned out my panic triggered the Shift which saved my life. Dad had dived into the water to rescue me, but he wasn’t surprised to discover his son was a merman. He tried to calm me down and Shift again, but I was so freaked out by what happened to me that nothing he said got through. We spent overnight on the yacht anchored in the inlet, and when I woke up the next day, I was very relieved to find that I had Shifted back to being human in my sleep.”

Kaidan could not sit still any longer. He stood up and paced to the aquarium. “Dad told me everything over breakfast that morning. He had a secret childhood friend, a mermaid he called Calypso, who rescued him from drowning when he was a boy. They became fast friends and spent many weeks playing together, but one day, Calypso said she had to leave. Her parents had found out what she was doing and told her to cease all contact with the human boy or the entire family would face exile.”

“That’s harsh.”

“I learned later that it was one of their laws. The merfolk society is xenophobic, isolationist and very rigid. Laws and traditions are everything to them. One of their most important laws was interaction with humans. They are absolutely forbidden to have any contact with humans. To do so means exile, and for merfolk, exile beyond the safety of their society is certain death. So, Calypso had no choice but to say goodbye and Dad never saw her again. At least that’s what he thought at that time.

Do you remember me telling you how my Mom got exposed to eezo during a shuttle incident when she was pregnant?” Kaidan asked abruptly.

“Yes. It was in Singapore.”

“That part’s true, but I wasn’t that baby. My parents went back to the orchard because my mom insisted on home birth. The Alliance was already aware that her unborn baby was exposed to eezo and she was terrified that if she gave birth in a hospital, someone from the government would take her baby away from her.”

Shepard frowned, “I don’t know much about pregnancies and giving birth, but home birth sounds risky.”

“My parents were worried too. They prepped for it, but they were both first-time parents and the situation was stressful. One evening, my dad took a walk along the family’s beachfront and he came across Calypso. She was hiding under the pier and she had a baby with her, a merchild.”

“That was you.”

“Yes.”

“So, Calypso is your biological mom?”

“I don’t know. She told Dad she was the aunt but…I have my suspicions. I never did get a chance to ask, so all I know was what Dad told me: Calypso was desperate for help because the merchild was biotic.”

Shepard stared at his lover. “Is that even possible?”

“Shuttle accidents don’t just happen over land and near spaceports, John – well, not the deliberate ones anyway. They occur over water as well. One of these shuttle accidents spilt a lot of eezo into the sea near Calypso’s home and the result was the same: pregnant mermaids and their unborn babies were exposed to the eezo-contaminated water. Many were stillborn, some were born with physical complications so grave they didn’t survive birth and the small percentage who did were biotic. And like humans in those initial days, merfolk feared these babies. To the merfolk in general, biotic merchildren were deviants of nature, abominations.”

Shepard did not like where Kaidan’s story was going. “What did they do?”

“A Great Council was held, and the Elders passed a law: all biotic merchildren are to be killed, no exception. Anyone found harbouring biotic merchildren would be punished by exile.”

“Surely there must be parents who objected to the law.”

“I was told there were, but the laws were absolute, and the general populace was too used to obeying the words of their Elders. I don’t know if there were others like Calypso who took pity on the biotic merchildren and spirited them away to save them, but she saved me and brought me to the only other person she knew and hoped would be able to protect me.”

“Your dad.”

“Yeah. She begged Dad to take the baby and raise him as his own. She also made Dad promised never to divulge my origins to me. It was an easy sell; Dad couldn’t turn away from his childhood friend and a baby in need of a home and protection. He accepted, but on the condition that if one day I Shift, he would be free to tell me everything he knows about the merfolk, and if I were to ask her, she would teach me everything about being merfolk.”

“Sounds like a fair bargain.”

“Yes, but it meant that my dad took on a responsibility that he wasn’t ready for. How was he going to explain my existence to my mom and everyone else? He didn’t know what to do, so he hid Calypso and me in the barn for the time being. Luckily, things turned out well – for me that is. My mom went into labour early. It caught everyone off guard, so it was just her and Dad when she gave birth. But the baby died minutes later, he was born with physical complications so severe he could not survive.”

Kaidan leaned back against the aquarium, arms folded across his chest. He mused, “I think my dad regretted agreeing to the home birth. I remember thinking he sounded wistful and sad when he told me about it. But the baby’s death meant there was a solution to his other problem.”

“You replaced the dead baby,” Shepard stated.

"My dad presented me to my mom as the son she gave birth to while Calypso took the dead babe away.”

“That must be a difficult revelation for you.”

“Yes. I was only seven, and already struggling to control my biotic abilities and resentful of the constant monitoring I had to put up with. People, other children, already made me feel like a freak; the revelation just made me angry, more confused and very insecure. It was a big lie and it made me question my place in the family and my parents’ love for me. But my dad never stopped assuring me that I was his son and that he loved me. It took a while, but he got through to me.”

“Did you tell your mom?”

“No. Dad told me not to. He wasn’t sure how she would take the news.

So, a week after the boating accident, Dad took me down to the pier to meet Calypso and asked her to carry out her part of the bargain. She agreed and during that summer, on the pretext of going to summer camp, Dad took me to the secret cove he played in with Calypso when they were just kids. There, I lived with Calypso during the summer and she taught me everything I knew about being merfolk: their biology, how to Shift and control it, the merfolk language, their culture and traditions, their laws and history, how their society functions and the societal roles individuals are expected to perform. She also taught me how to survive off the sea, how to read the ocean currents and the stars, how to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic fields. She was a strict teacher, but it was worth it.

Between her and my dad, I got over myself and accepted that I am what I am. It’s a part of me whether I want it or not, just like my biotics. Might as well learn to live with it.” Kaidan sighed and returned to sit down on the couch next to Shepard. “I’ve always wondered what happened to Calypso. I trained with her for three summers and then, she disappeared without leaving a word.”

“You think something has happened to her?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the merfolk had found out what she was doing and punished her for it. Heck, I thought the only reason she was able to train me was that she had already been exiled and the beachfront was her refuge. Don’t be mistaken, I would be very happy to see her again, but I don’t think she’s alive. So, that’s my story. I’m a merman but only in blood. In every other way that matters, I’m human.”

Shepard clasped a hand about Kaidan’s nape, gently but firmly, always careful of that one vulnerable area where Kaidan’s L2 implant was. “You’re the most human person I’ve ever met, Kaidan. You don’t have to justify it to me. Honestly? I’m glad Calypso spirited you away.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t have met you otherwise.” Shepard tugged Kaidan towards him for a deep kiss.

Kissing soon turned into making out, and as their passion rose, making out was no longer enough. They shed their clothes in record time and Kaidan straddled his lover, Shepard shifting lower onto the couch to give him easier access.

“Wait, we forgot about the lube.”

Shepard stopped Kaidan from getting up. “No need. I got one here.”

Kaidan watched in amused incredulity as he stretched out an arm and dug into a corner of the couch cushions. With a triumphant flourish, Shepard extracted the requested item from its hiding place.

“You hid one there? Where anyone could find it?”

Shepard grinned impishly at Kaidan, “Hey, I figure we’ll have couch sex sooner or later. Better to be prepared.”

Kaidan laughed, though he could feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Is that why I found a bottle in your desk drawer the other day?”

“Guilty as charged.” Shepard coated his fingers with the lube and reached for Kaidan’s hole. He watched avidly as Kaidan’s eyes fluttered close in pleasure when he pushed one finger into him. “One day, I want to take you on my desk or bent over it, your choice.”

Kaidan shuddered. The image his lover invoked with those words combined with the way Shepard’s fingers played his sensitive hole so skilfully ramped up his arousal by several notches. “Yeah, I’d like that,” he said breathlessly “Shit, John, I can’t wait. Get in me, please.”

Shepard’s fingers retreated and Kaidan rose up on his knees. Wrapping a hand around Shepard’s grasp on his rigid dick, they guided it towards Kaidan’s ready hole and then, slowly, very slowly, so they could savour every moment of it, he lowered himself onto Shepard’s hard dick. Kaidan’s head fell back and a long moan of pleasure left him. Wrapping his arms around Shepard’s neck, he kissed his lover hungrily, mapping and claiming the depths of Shepard’s mouth even as his lover took him slow and deep. Kaidan rocked his hips, small incremental motions at first to draw out the lovemaking for as long as he could.

He would never get enough of making love to Shepard, his heart soared with every intimate touch and kiss, John becoming the entire focus of his world and nothing else exist for Kaidan during those precious intense moments. It never mattered who was topping who, the sheer amount of pleasure and emotions that flowed between them every time they make love…there was nothing else in the world quite like it. He caressed Shepard’s face, tracing those thick brows arching over eyes bluer than Earth’s oceans and so electrifying with his intense personality, the small scar in his hairline, the well-formed cheekbones and his stubbled stubborn chin. Every part of this man was so precious to him.

“Love you,” he rasped out without thinking. Shepard’s eyes widened in surprise. “God, I love you so much.”

Shepard’s answer was immediate. He pulled Kaidan down for a kiss so deep and devouring that Kaidan felt it all the way to his toes. “Love you too,” he growled back. He ran his hands down Kaidan’s naked back and cupped his butt firmly. He thrust up once and very firmly, revelling in the shudder and moan it pulled from his lover. “Come for me Kaidan. I want to see you come all over me.”

“Shit,” Kaidan swore even as he obeyed Shepard’s heated command, quickening the rocking motions of his hips until he was riding Shepard hard and fast. His lover’s grip on his ass was tight – Kaidan loved it – and he knew how to aim for Kaidan’s prostate unerringly with every thrust.

Kaidan was moaning continuously now. One hand braced against the back of the couch, he took hold of his own erect dick with his free hand and stroked it once, twice…and then ground hard in Shepard’s lap and came, spilling his cum all over his chest. Shepard could not help but groan aloud when Kaidan’s hot channel tightened and pulsed around his dick through his climax. It was enough to take him over the edge as well.

Together, they slumped back on the couch, breathing hard as they recover from their lovemaking. Still, in Shepard’s lap, Kaidan rested his head on his lover’s shoulder, panting into his neck.

Shepard wrapped his arms around Kaidan, hugging him close despite the sticky mess between them. “Is it just us or does it seem to get better each time?” he mused.

Kaidan breathed out a breathless laugh. “It’s definitely us. We get better each time.”

“That we do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter post is a little late - I was having problems with merman Kaidan's origin story. Is it too out of canon? Do let me know. 
> 
> I also wasn't sure about the love-making scene. All the rust on my writing ability really showed up at this point. I used to have trouble writing such scenes in the past and this time was no different. Truth be told, I also got a feeling that I probably wouldn't write any more love-making scenes in the future.


	6. Chapter 6

After cleaning up and making themselves presentable, the two human Spectres went down to the meeting room for a squad meeting. Morning off or not, there was a war to tackle and it waited for no one. Everyone relevant was present in the meeting room when they arrived; even Joker was linked in through the comms.

“It’s been confirmed,” Shepard began without preamble. “Leviathan and some of its race are hiding on Despoina. They have agreed to join the war.”

“Can we trust them to keep their word?” Garrus asked at once. “I find it hard to believe that they would be so altruistic after sitting out so many cycles.”

“For now, we can, but the Leviathan regarded themselves as the apex race and every other race inferior and should be subjugated to them.” Shepard then proceeded to brief them fully on what he had discovered while negotiating with the Leviathan.

Kaidan swallowed hard when Shepard disclosed being nearly kept captive by the Leviathan and unfazed, talked them out of that decision. He hadn’t realized just how close he came to losing Shepard again.

“You really did some fast talking there, Commander,” Joker commented over the comms.

“My conversation with Leviathan drove home one fact: Leviathan cannot be trusted. Their arrogance and contempt for other races of the galaxy make them a dangerous wild card.”

“On one hand, they kill Reapers without breaking a sweat,” Tali mused, “but who’s to say they won’t turn against us without warning?”

“So, what’s the plan, Loco?” asked Vega.

“We accept their help but with caution. I’ve emphasised the danger to Admiral Hackett and he concurred with me. He will be disseminating the information to the Council and all fleets. Since Leviathan possesses the ability to influence and control people’s minds, we are restricting the number of people who will communicate with them. Any new fragments discovered are to be shielded and isolated immediately. For those we already know about, we won’t shield them because Leviathan requires them for long-distance communication. Instead, a restricted zone of a hundred-metre radius will be maintained around each fragment. Hopefully, these measures will be enough to minimise the extent of their mind influence.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to destroy new fragments when we find them?” Traynor asked.

“That wouldn’t be a show of good faith,” Liara pointed out.

“All it does is to suggest to Leviathan that we are afraid of it,” Javik remarked.

“Doctor T’Soni and Commander Javik are correct,” Edi said. “It is in our best interest to not destroy any of the fragments or show that we are wary of them. Commander, may I suggest we attempt posting Geths to the teams communicating with Leviathan?”

“You think they’ll be useful in spotting people falling into thrall to Leviathan?” Kaidan asked.

“Since the Geth are essentially A.I. programs and are therefore immune to organic mind influence, it is an advantage.” 

“Leviathan knocked the Kodiak out of the sky of Despoina with some kind of pulse. Won’t the Geth be equally vulnerable?”

“I’ve examined the Normandy and the Kodiak’s sensor logs of the incident. With Specialist Traynor’s help, I believe I can devise a shielding that would protect the Geth’s systems from being similarly overwhelmed.”

That was good enough for Shepard. “Do it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Any other questions?” Seeing there was none, Shepard moved to the next item on his agenda. “We’ll be arriving at Horizon in less than three hours. Kaidan, will you be ready to deploy?”

“Yes, sir. I have an alternate set of armour and I can easily borrow weapons from the armoury.”

“Then suit up. You’re on the ground team to Horizon. Vegas, you’re with me as well. Garrus, Tali, Javik, I want you three on standby in case something goes wrong. Liara, Traynor, keep monitoring Sanctuary’s comms. Joker, Edi, while we’re down there, keep a close watch on Normandy’s sensors. If Kai Leng tries to escape the planet, your job is to shoot him back down. I want him alive and caught. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed.”


	7. Chapter 7

Horizon, no, Sanctuary, was a shitshow.

Kaidan paced the length of the starboard observatory lounge, still seething even though it’s been hours since they shut down the horrific Cerberus facility. He had seen some shit in his military career, but the atrocities Cerberus committed on Horizon – all for the sake of studying indoctrination? The sheer depth of The Illusive Man’s arrogant self-righteous madness was appalling.

Taking a deep breath, Kaidan abruptly turned and headed for the shuttle bay. He needed to vent, or he would never find sleep tonight. Since Vegas’ punching bag was the only viable outlet on the Normandy, punching out the rage it is.

Shepard had beaten him to Vegas’ punching bag though.

Kaidan watched as Shepard drove punch after punch into the unoffending punching bag Vegas was bracing for him. From the look of the sweat-drenched tee shirt, it seemed like his lover had been at it for quite a while. His anger cooled when he realized the events on Sanctuary must have hit Shepard a lot harder than he wanted to admit. Whether he liked it or not, it was Cerberus, the Illusive Man, who spearheaded the project to resurrect him and made an impossibility a reality. Although Shepard had never bought into Cerberus’s ideology and methods, the thought that the same group who brought him back to life also committed the atrocities on Horizon…it was heavy, complicated knowledge.

Finally, Shepard stopped, breathing hard from his workout.

“Take five, Commander?” Vegas asked.

Shepard shook his head. “I’m good.”

“You here to do some punching too, Major?” Vegas called out.

Shepard turned as well, finally aware of his presence. “Hey, Kaidan. I’m done if you want your turn.”

Kaidan no longer felt like venting his rage on the punching bag. It was still there but it was now banked and simmering, a useful incentive for his next fight with Cerberus. “Nah, I’m fine. I think I’d rather save it for the next Cerberus mission.” Kaidan picked up the towel draped over a console and tossed it to Shepard. “Feeling better, Shepard?”

“Yeah. Thanks, James.”

“Anytime, Loco.”

Together, the two human Spectres headed for the elevator.

“Hungry?” Kaidan asked.

Shepard shook his head. “I took an energy drink. Not much of an appetite.”

“What did Hackett say about Sanctuary?”

“He backed our actions fully. Traynor and Edi have tracked Kai Leng’s movements to Cerberus’ headquarters, but Hackett’s holding off the attack for the time being.”

The elevator deposited them outside Shepard’s cabin.

“I can see why,” Kaidan mused about it as Shepard stripped off his clothes on his way to the shower. “Cerberus has the Prothean V.I. and since it’s safe to say the Illusive Man is indoctrinated, any move the Alliance make against Cerberus will immediately reveal our plans to the Reapers.”

“Yeah.” Shepard tipped his head in the direction of the shower, “Join me?”

Kaidan smirked as he accepted Shepard’s invitation, shedding his uniform and boots, and joined Shepard under the shower. For the next few minutes, they directed their attention to the task of getting clean, moving around each other in comfortable proximity. While Shepard began to soap his scalp and body with his body wash, Kaidan stepped under the shower head to wet himself thoroughly. Then in sync, they switched places. It didn’t take Shepard long to rinse himself clean and he picked up Kaidan’s shampoo-conditioner to help his lover with his hair.

“Turn around,” he directed Kaidan. Kaidan turned and Shepard began to gently wash his hair. He picked up where their previous conversation had left off, “Hackett’s still mustering the fleets’ strength, the Crucible isn’t quite finished yet, and Anderson needs time to manoeuvre the Earth forces into positions. When we strike, all of us will have to strike at the same time. First at Cerberus, then at the Reapers.”

“The final push.”

“Exactly.”

“So, what’s our next mission?”

“We don’t have one. Hackett has ordered the Normandy to the dry docks at the Citadel for repairs. All of us will be on shore leave until the repairs are done. While he and Anderson set the stage and the tech crew repairs the Normandy, Hackett wants us to take time to rest. He wants us at our best for the final push.” He nudged Kaidan back under the showerhead and once Kaidan had rinsed off the suds, he tugged his biotic lover back against his chest. Shepard wrapped his arms around Kaidan’s waist and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. “There will be no turning back once we commit.”

Leaning back, Kaidan reached up with an arm to cradle Shepard’s head close. He tilted his head to press against his lover’s cheek. “Nervous?”

“A little,” Shepard admitted. “We’ve worked so long and so hard to get to this point and now that it’s almost here…I almost can’t believe it.”

“Well, believe it, John. The fact we got here is all due to you. It was your determination, your will, your conviction that united the galaxy and brought us this far.” Kaidan twisted around in Shepard’s arms to look at him. “I know it’s a huge burden and there have been many times in the past months that I wish I could’ve taken over for you, but it’s you who have done the impossible, so believe it.”

Shepard was silent and thoughtful for the rest of their shower and even when they finally settled into bed for the night. He did not speak until the cabin lights were switched off and only the ambient glow of the aquarium bathed the cabin in cool soft light.

Curled up in the crook of Shepard’s arm, Kaidan was on the verge of dozing off when he heard Shepard murmured, “‘Right time, right place, right people equal success.’”

“Wha-?” He lifted his head from Shepard’s chest.

“‘Right time, right place, right people equal success.’ Just something I heard while I was a kid. For some reason, it stuck with me.”

“You think it applies to you?"

Shepard shrugged. “Why not? I’m just a soldier, a darn good one but there’s nothing special about me. Maybe I was the right person in the right place and time for the right job, that’s all.”

“‘Circumstances don’t make the man; they only reveal him to himself.’”

“Who said that?”

“No idea, but I think it suits you better.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Kaidan kissed him firmly, “and I bet I’m not the only one to see that.”

Shepard brushed his fingers across Kaidan’s brows and temple, examining his lover’s matured handsome visage with soft eyes. “How is it you always know what to say?”

Kaidan’s whiskey-brown eyes danced with mirth. “I don’t always but thank you. Now sleep. There’s plenty of work that needs to be done before we can go on shore leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks the end of my major uploads to compensate for the two weeks in Feb when I will be on vacation. Starting next week, I should be returning to my planned posting schedule of once a week and about 1500 words per posting.
> 
> The quotes used in this chapter are by the following authors:
> 
> "Right time, right place, right people equal success" - Idries Shah, an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies, and also a leading thinker of the 20th century. 
> 
> "Circumstances don’t make the man; they only reveal him to himself." - Epictetus, a Greek philosopher


	8. Chapter 8

_The Citadel_

_Location: Milky Way / Serpent Nebula / Widow_

Kaidan stared in awe at the sprawling apartment. “Anderson gave _this_ to you?”

“He said I was doing him a favour,” Shepard rubbed the back of his head. It was clear he was feeling a little overwhelmed.

“This is a very generous gift, John.”

“That’s what I told him.” Shepard took Kaidan’s hand into his and together, they began to explore the apartment. “I’d never owed any places before. What can I expect from owning one?”

“Well, there’s the upkeep of it: housekeeping, the utilities, maintenance, home security…you should check with the concierge downstairs on the maintenance charges and the types of services they provide. Look into the legal process of title deed transfer though I think Anderson would’ve already gotten someone to handle that. Oh, and let’s not forget about taxes. But most importantly, you need to keep your pantry stocked.”

By the time Kaidan finished summing up, Shepard was looking a little lost. “Pantry? Why?”

Kaidan changed direction and tugged Shepard towards the kitchen where he proceeded to check the fridge and cupboards. “We’re on shore leave, right? Once they hear about this place, Garrus and the others would want to visit you. You’ll need to make sure the pantry and fridge are stocked with food and drinks.”

“Can’t they bring their own?” Shepard asked plaintively.

“They can and most probably will, but to be a good host, you must also have supplies on hand.”

“Is it too late to return the apartment to Anderson?”

Kaidan gave his lover a withering look. “It’s not too complicated once you get the hang of owning a home.”

“Home, huh.” Shepard’s lips curved into a small smile as he thought about it. “Home…I like the sound of that, especially if I can own it with you.”

Kaidan stopped what he was doing and looked at him curiously. “What are you saying?”

“Move in with me.”

“What?”

“There were many times in the past when I could have bought a place, but I never did. The Alliance military provided for all my needs. If I needed a place to stay, it was either the barracks or officers’ quarters. I honestly never thought of buying a place of my own. But now I have you, I have this apartment and the thought of living with you makes me…,” Shepard swallowed. “I guess what I’m trying to say is you’re my reason to come back from my missions and I want a home for us where we can be ourselves.”

Kaidan stared open-mouthed at Shepard, moved speechless by his lover’s unexpected confession.

Pinned on the spot by his gaze, Shepard shifted from foot to foot, clearly flustered and uncomfortable but he gamely pushed on, “You’re already bunking with me on the Normandy and the first thought I had when Anderson told me about this place was ‘you should live here too’, so…move in with me?”

Touched, Kaidan went to his lover and kissed him hard, “Yes, of course. I’ll move in with you.”

Shepard relaxed, absurdly relieved at Kaidan’s acquiescence. “Thank God.”

Kaidan threw back his head and laughed brightly, “you ass. Come on, let’s check out the rest of the apartment.”

“Do you have an apartment?” Shepard asked as they examined the empty bar.

“It’s in Vancouver. Probably nothing more than rubbles by now.” Kaidan eyed the sorry few bottles of liquor stocked at the bar critically. “We need to make a list of things to buy. The fridge and cupboard are bare and the bar’s liquor inventory is just pathetic.”

The more he saw of the apartment, the more impressed Kaidan became. It was an extravagant piece of home property and frankly, quite out of Anderson’s character. He told Shepard so.

“I think he bought this place when he was Earth’s ambassador to the Council,” Shepard remarked. “A place that would match his role, not because he actually wanted it. Knowing Anderson, he would be perfectly fine living in the Alliance barracks on the Citadel.”

“Yeah, and he wouldn’t have cared if he scandalized the entire diplomatic community while doing so.” Kaidan’s brows rose when he spied the massive hot tub in the master bedroom’s en-suite bathroom. “A hot tub? Seriously?”

“Feel free to take a dip.”

Kaidan was tempted but knowing that he was spending his shore leave together with Shepard, he was able to resist it. “Later. We should get our errands over and done with if we want to enjoy the rest of our shore leave in peace. I should be able to buy some of the stuff after I pick up my armour and my bag. What about you?”

“I’ll ask Garrus and Tali to get the dextro-amino food and drinks, and I’ll re-stock the bar. Sound like a plan?”

“Wait, don’t you have that late lunch appointment with Joker?”

“I’ll get the alcohol after. Pretty sure Joker will want to have a say in the purchase as well.”

“Just don’t let him go overboard with the buying. It’s your credits, you know.”

Shepard playfully saluted his lover, “Aye, aye.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was initially planned as the beginning of Part II, but I decided against it. I felt that it flowed better as another arc in Part I.
> 
> I was a little late in posting these two chapter because it was the Chinese New Year over the weekend. I didn't celebrated the occasion much though and spent most of my time hacking out my vacation itinerary instead. Of course I didn't write much either; I hit a snag in the last chapter of this arc and wasn't able to resolve it. Maybe I'll have better luck this weekend.
> 
> Also I did some minor editing for Chapter 5 - nothing drastic, just changed some words.


	9. Chapter 9

Buoyant by the thought that Shepard and himself now have a place they could call their own when they could retreat to when they needed, Kaidan carried out his errands while in a very good mood. After discharging his Spectre duties and obligations, he headed for his appointment with a reputable jeweller on the Presidium Commons.

“Where did you get this?” the jeweller regarded the piece of scale Kaidan handed him with interest. The biotic Major had cleaned and polished it until it gleamed iridescent under the light.

“It’s classified. Will you be able to turn this into a pendant?”

“Of course, Spectre Alenko.”

“How soon?”

“It’ll take some time, but for you, I can get it done by the end of tomorrow.”

“That’ll be much appreciated.” Happily, Kaidan put down a deposit for the commission and headed for the Alliance Requisitions Office on the Citadel.

While he could get an armour of higher quality through the Spectre Requisitions office, he was too accustomed to the Alliance-blue hard armour model. Besides, with the final battle looming ahead, it made far more sense to stick with a model he was already familiar with. Unlike at the jewellery shop, Kaidan declined priority treatment at the Alliance Requisitions Office, highly conscious of the fact that many Alliance soldiers view him and the other crew members of the Normandy with a certain level of respect and regard. He always felt uncomfortable with such admiration and didn’t want to take advantage of it.

His turn came nearly an hour later, and he was testing the fit on his armour when he got a call from Joker.

“Kaidan!Someone’sgunningforShepard!Youneedtogettohimasap!”

“Slow down, Joker. What did you just say?”

“I said someone’s gunning for Shepard. You need to get to him asap!”

Kaidan froze, his blood chilling at Joker’s dramatic announcement. Then his instincts kicked in and he sprang into action. Barging out of the changing room and surprising the clerks at the front counter, he hastily opened the box containing his newly acquired firearms and ammunition. “Where are you and Shepard now?”

“I’m outside Ryuusei’s Sushi Bar, hiding. We got separated when mercs burst into the restaurant. He used me as bait to draw their attention, can you believe that? Wait, hang on, something’s happeni -?”

Armed, Kaidan dashed out of the Alliance Requisitions Office much to the consternation of the clerks and ran for a waiting skycar. Ignoring the shouts of protests behind him, he all but dove into the skycar and took off.

“Joker, talk to me,” he ordered as calmly as he could. “What’s going on?”

“Shepard fell through the fish tank in the restaurant! He’s somewhere in the Lower Wards below the restaurant.”

Kaidan’s mouth fell open at Joker’s update but quickly collected himself. “Get the others, Joker. Tell them what’s happening. I’m on my way to Shepard’s location. Edi, can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear, Major. I am sending Shepard’s location to your omni-tool now.”

“Thanks. Notify C-Sec and monitor the comms, Edi. I need to know who’s after Shepard and what kind of heat they’re packing.”

“At once, Major.”

Programming the skycar with the new nav point, Kaidan ran a check over his weapons and ammunition while his mind raced through all possibilities. They have enemies, Shepard more than most, but Ryuusei’s Sushi Bar was in one of the safer sectors of the Citadel. It should have been safe enough for Shepard to dine there without having to worry about getting shot at. Who would be so daring as to openly gun for the famous first human Spectre in the middle of the classiest district of the Citadel?

“Shit,” Kaidan swore under his breath, remembering belatedly that Shepard has left his sidearm back in his new apartment. All his lover had on him was his shield.

It was time to drive like Shepard.

Ignoring the speed limit, he revved the skycar’s engine and proceeded to break every traffic rule there was to get to Shepard’s location as quickly as he could. Arriving in less than half the time it usually took, Kaidan braked the skycar into a skidding halt right at the C-Sec barrier. He got out just as a C-Sec officer came running towards him with a pissed look.

“Spectre Alenko,” Kaidan barked out authoritatively, knowing it would bring the C-Sec officer up short. “What’s going on?”

“We received reports of a gunfight in the Lower Wards over there,” the officer pointed in said direction. “We’ve locked this sector down and are evacuating citizens from it.”

The thunder of a loud explosion made both men ducked reflexively. Kaidan spotted a thick plume of black smoke and flashes of gunfire in the distance.

“Jesus,” the officer cursed, “what the fuck is going on in there?”

“That’s Commander Shepard fighting mercs who want him dead.” Kaidan unholstered his pistol and flicked off the safety. “Is C-Sec sending reinforcement?”

Eyes wide at the revelation, the officer nodded quickly. “Yes sir, but they are still minutes’ away.”

“Understood. I’m going in. When the Normandy’s crew arrives, let them in too.”

“Aye, sir.”


	10. Chapter 10

Their shore leave was fast turning into a busman’s holiday.

They led crazy lives, yes, but this was ridiculous. Kaidan honestly couldn’t decide whether to be pissed or amused – but Shepard looked really good in his N7 leather jacket, tee shirt and jeans, so that was a silver lining in the ongoing madness. Probably the only silver lining, Kaidan was cynical enough to admit. He hadn’t realized his lover owned clothes other than his uniform and N7 armour.

The gunfight did not take long. Wrex made a surprise appearance and Joker commandeered a skycar to extract them. But the aftermath…

Kaidan grimaced in sympathy when he saw Doctor Chakwas applied medi-gel to Shepard’s bruised torso. His lover had taken quite a beating when he fell through the restaurant’s fish tank floor. “How is he, Doctor Chakwas?”

“He’ll live. Thankfully, he got away with just bruises. Nothing else is broken, including his cybernetics, but I don’t recommend any more dives off buildings.”

“Of course he’s fine,” Wrex scoffed from his corner in the examination room at Huerta Memorial Hospital. “He’s a krogan.”

Doctor Chakwas was unfazed. “Really? So why does he read like a human on my scans?”

“Beats me.”

Shepard just rolled his eyes and got dressed. “Thanks, Doctor Chakwas. Come on you two. Let’s go find out who shot at me.”

The moment the door to the examination room slid open, they were confronted by a small group of irritated-looking C-Sec officers all being held at bay by a harassed-looking Maya Brooks.

“Commander, you’re out!” Brooks exclaimed in relief. “I wasn’t sure I could hold them back any longer.”

“What’s this about?”

“It’s about the gunfight, Commander Shepard,” one of the C-Sec officers said, “and the damage it caused.”

“We have received numerous complaints from Citadel citizens regarding reckless driving in traffic and the theft of a skycar,” said another officer, looking pointedly at Kaidan.

So did Shepard, looking rather impressed.

“It was an emergency,” Kaidan protested.

“Defenestration of shooters and damage to a C-Sec vehicle,” said a third, “I need to know who’s the culprit.”

Both Shepard and Kaidan looked at Wrex.

“What?” Wrex asked nonchalantly.

Shepard sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I suppose we should stay and help clean up the mess.”

“Right. It’s only considerate,” Kaidan said agreeably.

“Polite. We’re on the same side as C-Sec.”

“Working for the common good.”

They looked at each other. Then in unison, they turned back to the waiting C-Sec officers.

“We’re on Spectre business, gentlemen,” Shepard announced. “We should go.”

“Send your reports and complaints to the Spectre office,” Kaidan advised. “We’ll handle it after the mission is over.”

And the two human Spectres – the best of what humanity has to offer – quickly made their escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a very bad week for me. 
> 
> With the Coronavirus outbreak looming like a spectre (no pun intended) over my part of the world, I had to postpone my vacation - which means a week's worth of scrambling to reschedule. That took up more time than I liked, so I wasn't able to plot out Arc 3 of this story. The postponement of my vacation also meant my two major uploads in January were for nothing. I'll continue to upload throughout February until the end of Arc 2 and then take a hiatus since I'll need the time to plot out Arc 3 which takes place after the Reaper War.


	11. Chapter 11

Goddamn, a clone?

Kaidan stared at Shepard’s mirror image walking towards them, feeling as though someone has yanked the ground from under his feet. The sensation wasn’t one he enjoyed. He snuck a peek at his Shepard, wondering how he was handling the revelation, but from his position behind Shepard, he couldn’t make out his lover’s expression.

“Take the Major. Execute the rest. The cult of Shepard ends today.”

What? Kaidan tensed when he heard the clone gave the orders. Unarmed and held at gunpoint, he had no choice but to let the mercs cuffed his hands behind his back and follow them.

“What do you want with Kaidan?” His Shepard called out.

“Worry about yourself. He’ll follow you soon enough,” the clone said without looking back.

Kaidan kept his silence. A quick glance at his lover as he was marched past Shepard showed Kaidan that his lover was calm. Alert but calm. Good. They were both seasoned soldiers after all. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, they needed to bide their time and not lose their heads.

The clone and the mercs broke into a fast march once out of sight of his Shepard. It was awkward marching with his hands cuffed behind his back, but Kaidan wasn’t going to let his enemies get any enjoyment from watching him flounder. There was no way he could take out so many enemies, even if he had his hands free and able to wield his biotics. But he could watch, and he watched his enemies like a hawk as the clone led his small team from one archive to another. The clone was clearly searching for something, Kaidan did not know what.

The clone’s pace slowed as he listened to something over his earpiece.

Straining his hearing, Kaidan could make out a few words: _Contact! The other Shepard’s loose…fighting…need reinforcement…_ He smiled inwardly. Trust his lover to have a few tricks up his sleeve.

“Take him down,” the clone ordered over his comm. “I need more time to find the vault.”

Vault? The clone’s searching for a vault? Which one and why? Then it hit Kaidan. “You’re going after Shepard’s records.”

“Bravo, Major Alenko.”

It didn’t take a leap of imagination to understand why the clone was going after his lover’s records. After all, if he was a clone and was going to replace his original with no one the wiser, it was what he would do too. “You’re not going to get away with this,” Kaidan told the clone.

“Why would I want to get away? I’m Shepard.”

Kaidan looked at the clone. “No,” he said finally. “You really are just a pale imitation of him.”

The clone did not answer. He looked at their surroundings – another vault – and then seemingly assured, called up the records. “Recognise this, Major Alenko?”

Kaidan’s eyes narrowed when he recognised the recording being played. “The Despoina mission.”

“I’ve hacked and read all his mission reports. They’re all written concisely, to the point, with very little personal opinions colouring them. It made guessing the whys behind his decisions and actions difficult, but when you were assigned to the Normandy during the war, understanding his reasonings became easier.”

“You hacked my mission reports too.”

“You were on his team on nearly every single ground mission and unlike his mission reports, yours were more detailed. You understand him better than anyone else and it shows.”

“You use our mission reports to learn more about the man you want to become,” Kaidan realized.

The clone smiled thinly, “I do my homework.”

“So why single out this mission?” Kaidan asked even though he had a feeling he knew why.

“The Despoina mission was your only mission report where the details are as sparse as Shepard’s and contained no personal opinions and explanations. I’m surprised, Major Alenko. Didn’t anyone ever teach you how to hide things in plain sight? You blend in. If you want to withhold information, doing what you did was a piss-poor way of doing so. It got me curious to find out what exactly happened on that mission.”

Yeah, Kaidan knew that was what the clone was going to ask him. “Do you really expect me to tell you?”

“You will if you want your alien friends to die with dignity.” The clone walked right up to him. “Take, for example, say, your quarian friend. Aren’t you curious to know how long she can live outside her suit? I am and I can make the point to find out.”

“Threatening my friends isn’t going to work on me. They can take care of themselves.”

The clones smiled thinly. “They won’t be the first non-humans I’d deceived and tortured.”

That gave Kaidan pause. “What have you done?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” the clone smirked. He held something up in front of Kaidan’s gaze. “Do you know what this is?”

Kaidan frowned at the sight of the small black velvet box the clone held up. It looked like a jewellery box – shit….

“I see you do know.” The clone casually opened the box and true to Kaidan’s fears, it was his scale set as a pendant on a gold chain. “The Normandy’s crew was under surveillance the moment you set foot on the Citadel. When I saw you entering the jewellery shop, I got curious. It didn’t take a great deal of persuasion to get the jeweller to give this to me instead when it was finished.”

Even as dismay filled him to see something so personal in the hands of his enemy, Kaidan couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship of the jeweller. The jeweller had outdone himself. His scale was coated in a crystalline-transparent resin that set off its iridescent rainbow of colours and finely edged in gold.

Kaidan watched fuming as the clone took out the gift he had commissioned for his Shepard and casually toyed with it.

“Beautiful gift, but what I’m interested in is how you got your hands on this. It’s not a difficult leap of logic to connect a fish scale to an oceanic world like Despoina. I wonder what a DNA scan of this will tell me.”

“You know we found the Leviathan on Despoina. And that’s all we found.”

“This tells me otherwise. Be a good boy and tell me, Alenko, and I’ll give this back to you. Maybe you’ll even have the time to give it to him before you die.”

Kaidan glared at him but kept his mouth stubbornly shut.

“What are you doing?” a new voice demanded.

What the hell? Kaidan stared incredulously as Maya Brooks came striding towards them as though she has every right to be there.

But this Brooks looked different from the earnest, nerdy pencil-pusher he knew. Her gaze was calculative and her expression cold and disapproving as she took in the tableau set out before her.

“I knew this was going to happen when you took Alenko. Didn’t I say the Despoina mission was irrelevant?”

The clone tucked the jewelled scale and its box back into one of his pouches, “The opportunity presents itself and I took it. Finding out more information is never a bad thing.”

“It is when it endangers the mission,” Brooks snapped. “Shepard is closing in fast, probably because you took Alenko. We don’t have the time to muck around. Have you found the vault?”

“Not yet.”

“Then why are you wasting valuable time grilling Alenko on this mission?” Brooks demanded. “You’re better than Shepard, so act like it. I’ll play for time.” She turned to leave but paused for a moment, “I suggest you get rid of Alenko fast.”

Brooks did not see the clone’s glower but Kaidan did, and he realized the relationship between the clone and Brooks – whatever it was – was not all too stable. Brooks was not just a mole, she was clearly manipulative and arrogant, and the clone visibly did not like being ordered around.

Kaidan watched closely as the clone swallowed his pride and got back to his work. Make that pragmatic as well, Kaidan realized, always a dangerous quality in an enemy. He needed to find some way to escape and tell Shepard what he had discovered.

“Are you going to let her boss you around like that?” he asked the clone. “I thought you are in charge.”

“I am,” the clone snapped back, “but I’m not an egoist like Shepard. I won’t let my pride get in my way.”

Kaidan snorted. “Pride? Are you saying Shepard is a prideful man? You can’t be further from the truth.”

“People abandoned their duties to follow him. So many have switched their loyalties from what they were sworn to uphold to him, just like you. They worshipped him, adored him and will follow him into hell itself without hesitation. Hero worship feeds a man’s pride, too much makes him egoistical. No way he wouldn’t be affected.”

“No one would remain unaffected, yes,” Kaidan acknowledged, “but you read the situation wrong.”

“I don’t think so. I used to admire you, you know, after reading Lawson’s report on the Horizon mission to stop the Collectors. I thought: ‘here is a man who has integrity, who stands by his principles and does not worship the ground Shepard walks on’, but in the end, you’re just like the others.”

“You don’t get it, do you? We don’t blindly follow Shepard. We are his friends.”

“Friends are overrated.” The clone walked right up to Kaidan. “They’re liabilities, and I will prove that to you right now.”

Before Kaidan knew what happened, the clone had struck him across the head. Unbalanced, Kaidan staggered backwards. His vision blurred and he shook his head and tried desperately to keep his head in the game, but the clone knew how to hit. Another blow was all it took to send him into unconsciousness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, but all I got this weekend is this short chapter.
> 
> I'm still struggling with the last two chapters of the second arc. The scenes are not flowing the way I want them to. I should be able to whip them into shape by next weekend - if the coronavirus outbreak doesn't disrupt my working life any further. Bloody virus.

“Kaidan. Kaidan!”

Kaidan tried his best to respond to the voice of his lover calling his name urgently. His head throbbed painfully as he squinted his eyes open.

“…John…?” he managed to slur out his lover’s name.

“Thank God you’re awake. Can you sit up?” 

“…I’ll try…” With his lover’s help, Kaidan managed to sit up. His head swam for a moment but the nauseating feeling quickly passed. All around him was darkness and from the way sounds reverberated, they were inside somewhere small and enclosed. He squinted hard at his lover.

“It’s our Shepard, Alenko,” Wrex grunted from where he stood. “Bastard clone used you as bait, trapping us in this iridium vault. He overrode Shepard’s handprint in the Archives and took off for the Normandy with that Cerberus agent Brooks.”

“So that was what the clone meant,” Kaidan muttered.

“What?” Shepard asked.

“He said ‘friends are liabilities’ and he’d prove it to me. Guess we walked right into it. Where are the others?”

“As trapped as we are, in other vaults. I’d say we got about an hour or so of air left,” Wrex remarked almost casually.

In the light of his armour’s clip light, Shepard gently examined his lover’s head. He frowned when Kaidan winced as he lightly pressed against the bump. “He got you pretty good.”

“He knows how to hit, but it’s nothing that medi-gel and some painkillers wouldn’t help.”

“You know he’s really serious about replacing me,” Shepard mused aloud as he helped Kaidan to apply the medi-gel to the bump on his head.

Kaidan gave his lover a strange look, wondering why Shepard didn’t seem all too worried about the threat. “I think that’s obvious.”

“He said ‘I should go’. I can’t stop thinking about it. Do I sound like that?”

Kaidan stared.

Wrex just shrugged, “As long as I’ve known you, yea.”

“How come nobody told me this before?” Shepard complained. “I’m open to feedback here.”

“Well, I thought all humans said it, like some weird Earth custom or something.”

Kaidan privately decided it was just best to go with the flow. “Don’t worry too much about it,” he consoled his lover. “It’s a cute verbal tic.”

“Cute?” Shepard’s expression twisted. He couldn’t decide if he was offended or pleased at Kaidan’s consolation.

“Yeah, cute. Now, can we please get out of this impregnable vault we’ve been sealed in?”

“Hmm? Oh right. Glyph! You still out there?”

“Yes, Commander,” came the VI’s reply over Shepard’s earpiece.

“Unlock this damn thing and go find the others,” Shepard ordered. He turned to Kaidan, “are you up to chasing the clone down?”

“Don’t try to stop me.”

“Good. No one steals my ship, not even me.”


	13. Chapter 13

“I really should admit you for overnight observation,” Doctor Chakwas sighed as she looked through Kaidan’s medical scans. “I don’t like how often you’ve been hit in the head recently.”

“It’s only twice.”

“Within six months. I’m worried about what all these recent knocks will do to your implant.”

“But your scans and Doctor Michel’s scans turned up nothing. As far as both of you can tell, my implant hasn’t been rattled any further.”

Doctor Chakwas sighed again. “True, but I worry. It was hard seeing you so badly injured.”

“I’ll take it easy,” Kaidan promised.

“Please do. I’m giving you seventy-two hours’ medical leave. Then you come back here for another check-up. No mission, Spectre or Alliance, until I give you the all-clear.”

“Understood.” Kaidan quickly made his escape before Doctor Chakwas could find a reason to keep him in the hospital. He brightened when he saw Shepard waiting in the reception area, still dressed in his armour as he hadn’t got time to change yet. At his feet was Boo’s cage. “There you are.”

“Here I am. They wouldn’t allow me into the examination room, said ‘no pets allowed’,” Shepard groused even as he gave Kaidan a peck on his cheek.

“The nerve,” Kaidan sniggered.

“So what did Doctor Chakwas say?”

“I’m on medical leave for the next seventy-two hours,” Kaidan told him. “She should be submitting her report to you soon.”

“Good. Ready to go back?”

“Yeah. I can’t wait to get out of my armour and actually start shore leave.”

“Same here.” Shepard picked up Boo’s cage and they left Huerta Memorial Hospital together.

“Are you bringing Boo back to the apartment?” Kaidan asked bemused.

“After what the big bad clone did, Boo needs some tender loving care.”

Kaidan chuckled. The image of the big, tough and stoic Commander Shepard doting on a tiny fluffball of a hamster was incongruent but at the same time, it was a lovable quirk that made his lover so human.

Together, they made the trip back to Shepard’s new apartment. Settling in did not take long; they left their armours at Shepard’s new workbench to be dealt with the next day since neither was in the mood for it.

While Shepard fussed over his hamster’s comfort, Kaidan showered and scrubbed himself clean before sinking down into the warm bubbling depths of the hot tub with a sigh of relief. He hadn’t admitted to anyone, but he was still feeling the effects of the clone’s punches. Another dose of painkillers had taken care of the aches but only the bubbling hot water would loosen the sore muscles in his neck and back. He leaned back and closed his eyes, unbelievably exhausted now that the adrenaline rush had faded, and he could relax. He woke up from his doze when Shepard gently nudged him to make room for him.

“Thought I should rescue you from drowning,” Shepard teased with a smile as he wrapped an arm about Kaidan’s shoulders.

Kaidan smiled lazily and ran an appreciative hand over his lover’s cleansed nude torso. “How’s Boo?”

“Settled down for a nap the last I checked. He’ll recover from his ordeal. What are you laughing at?”

“You know, no one will believe me if I tell them you’re completely devoted to a tiny furry hamster.”

“Space hamster,” Shepard corrected him.

“All right, space hamster.” Still grinning broadly, Kaidan rested his head against Shepard’s shoulder. “I think it’s cute.”

“There you go with that ‘cute’ word.”

“Hey, if you think my butt is cute, then I have a right to think you with a hamster is cute.”

“Space hamster,” Shepard corrected automatically. “Fine, I’ll give you that.”

“How do you think the Council will handle Brooks?”

“Try her for crimes against the Citadel Council and Spectres. Tampering with the Archives is a major offence.”

“I really don’t understand how these Cerberus people think. Now isn’t the time to divide and help the Reapers to conquer.”

“Don’t try.” Shepard pressed a kiss into Kaidan’s greying temple. “I noticed you were very aggressive when we took back the Normandy.”

Kaidan sighed, his good mood deflating slightly. “The clone stole something from me, and I wanted it back.”

Shepard looked at him in concern. “You didn’t get it back?”

“No. It was a present meant for you. One of my scales got torn off during the Despoina mission and I had it made into a pendant for you.” Kaidan shuddered a little in revulsion when he recalled how the clone had treated his gift so carelessly.

“Kaidan?”

“I hadn’t realized how…repulsive it could feel to have someone you dislike touch something so personal. I hate the feeling.” He shook his head. “Never mind, it’s over and done with. It’s gone, like his body, and maybe that’s for the best.”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so,” Kaidan said firmly.

“So why did he kidnap you?”

“He wanted to know more about the Despoina mission.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s my fault, to be honest. The clone has been reading my mission reports to get insights into you. My Despoina mission report was the only one not forthcoming in details and that caught his attention.”

“Did you tell him?”

“Of course not. He didn’t have time to interrogate me further anyway; Brooks came to put a stop to things. Apparently, kidnapping me wasn’t part of the plan.”

“Good. At least her mistake is something gone right for us. I hate for anyone else to know about you.”

“Should I resubmit the report?”

“Don’t. That will draw even more attention,” Shepard advised. “Just let it rest. I’m more concerned about your scale. If someone was to find it, could it be traced back to you?”

“Nah. It will just read like a fish scale.”

“I don’t quite follow.”

“Here, let me show you. Switch on the medi-scanner on your omni-tool and scan me.” Kaidan waited while Shepard did as he was instructed. “What does it say?”

“One human biotic.”

“Nothing else unusual?”

Shepard studied the scan readouts carefully. “No.”

“Now keep the scanning on active mode and watch the readout.”

Closing his eyes, Kaidan concentrated and Shifted to his true form with some difficulty. There was no song of the ocean here on the Citadel but the water in the hot tub had its own feeble tune. He had to listen for it carefully in order to Shift, but he did it. Shepard looked fascinated, his bright blue gaze darting between watching him Shift and the changing readouts on his scan.

“Now what does your scan says?”

“Huh, one unknown lifeform is sitting beside me. Nothing human.”

“It’s not a camouflage ability like an octopus’s, it’s something more fundamental. When we Shift our forms, we Shift our cells. We actually become human right down to the cellular level, and it allows us to walk freely among them.”

“Hiding in plain sight.”

“Yeah, though for me, it’s more like living in plain sight.” Kaidan slumped further down into the bubbling water to take the pressure off his dorsal fin. Floating slightly in the water, he lifted his tail and watched as rivulets of water ran off his silvery tail fin. “It’s a useful ability, considering I never found the need to display my merman characteristics.”

He watched as Shepard lifted his webbed and clawed hand for a closer look. He couldn’t help but smile at the curious fascinated look on his lover’s face; at that moment, Shepard's boyish curiosity reminded him a lot of a young boy with a new gadget.

“You don’t have fingerprints,” Shepard remarked with surprise.

“Not in this form, no.”

Shepard turned about in his seat to face him fully. He lifted a hand to Kaidan’s face, pausing before he touched him. “May I?”

In answer, Kaidan pressed his smooth cheek into Shepard’s open palm. His eyes half-closed as Shepard gently traced his merman features with light fingers; he flared his nostrils in response to his lover’s fingers gently stroking the rim of his ear. He shivered when Shepard tentatively ran his fingers over his closed gills in his neck.

“It feels different,” Shepard said suddenly.

“Hmm?”

“Your skin,” Shepard clarified. “It’s smoother somehow, less…hairy.”

Kaidan grinned. “The hair follicles actually fall out when I Shift.”

“Except for these,” Shepard stroked lightly across his stubble and brows and tugged at a curling lock of hair.

“Yeah,” Kaidan laughed, “quite the quirk of biology. I retain the hair on my head, the pride of a human’s vanity, but loses the hair everywhere else on my body. Lucky me.”

“Maybe the stories were right in that aspect,” Shepard mused thoughtfully as he stroked a hand down Kaidan’s naked chest and towards his hips.

“What aspect?” Kaidan sighed with pleasure as he arched a little into Shepard’s touch.

“All the stories say that mermaids are the most beautiful creatures in the oceans.”

“And the human idea of beauty generally includes hair on the head.”

“Yep.” Shepard stroked down the length of Kaidan’s tail, “can you feel my touch?"

"Yes."

“It feels different here too,” Shepard remarked. “I keep expecting to feel your thigh muscles, but I can’t find any muscles that feel remotely like a human’s. It really feels like…like…”

“You’re touching a fish?” Kaidan supplied.

Shepard looked a little embarrassed. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Shepard brought his hand back up, resting his palm on Kaidan's chest. "You know, looking at you, I don’t understand how sailors during the old sailing days could actually think mermaids' features look completely human.”

Kaidan hesitated.

“What?” Shepard asked immediately, noticing the minute change in his expression.

“There is some truth to the stories.”

Shepard looked intrigued. “You can look completely human from waist up?”

"Yeah."

"This I want to see."

“You don’t know what you’re agreeing to.”

“No, but I trust you.”

Kaidan searched his lover's face carefully. "Okay. Let me see if I can show you, just a small bit of it."

Closing his eyes, Kaidan turned his focus inwards and listened. There was the water’s feeble tune and his desire to walk. The trick, as he remembered Calypso telling him so long ago, was finding the perfect balance between the two opposing forces, and that was the difficult part. A little too much in either direction meant he Shift towards being completely merman or completely human. He had never succeeded before and was half-expecting to fail this time as well until, quite by chance, he found that sweet spot.

When he opened his eyes, he knew it worked: Shepard was staring at him in open-mouthed stupefaction, an expression Kaidan had never seen him wear before. Flushing a little under Shepard’s stunned admiration, he sat up straight to expose more of his torso from the water, spread his arms along the edge of the hot tub to display his naked form more fully to his lover. He had an idea how he looked: fish from the waist down but completely human from the waist up, handsome to the point of bewitching.

“Merfolk take this form when they want to lure hapless sailors to their watery death.” Kaidan couldn’t help but direct a coy smile and a come-hither look from under lowered eyelashes at his lover. In response, Shepard’s eyes dilated with arousal and his breath hitched as he stared enraptured at Kaidan. “Seduction is a lot easier when you are so beautiful it affects your victim’s ability to think straight.”

Kaidan dropped his voice to a smoky purr, “Add an alluring voice to it and you’ll have any human eating out of your palm effortlessly.”

Face filled with passionate desire, but his eyes dilated and strangely glazed over, Shepard surged eagerly towards Kaidan. Before Kaidan could react, Shepard had straddled him, wrapped him in a possessive embrace and took his mouth in a devouring kiss. Realizing he had pushed the boundary of consent a little too far, Kaidan hastily released his control and Shifted back to his human form.

Shepard immediately stopped what he was doing. He blinked, staring at Kaidan befuddled, but clarity soon returned to his eyes. “Wha-?” He sat back, shaking his head a little to clear it, though he remained seated in Kaidan’s lap.

“How do you feel?” Kaidan asked worriedly as he rubbed a soothing hand up and down Shepard’s arm.

"I felt -,” Shepard paused, searching for the words. "It’s a little hard to explain. I’ve always known you’re a good-looking man, but when you Shifted to...that, it felt like you’ve amplified the intensity of your good looks."

"What else?"

Shepard swallowed dryly. "I was hit by a desire to have you. Don't get me wrong, I was attracted to you from the first day we met, but this desire felt different. It was a sudden, strong compulsion and it was all I could think of. I heard and understood everything you said but I didn’t care about your warning, I just wanted you. Nothing else mattered. I felt like I’ll agree to anything, do anything you want so long I can have you.”

“That’s also how I felt when Calypso demonstrated to me during one of our training sessions.”

“What is it?”

"It’s an ability to put their unsuspecting victims in thrall," Kaidan explained, shifting a little uncomfortably. "All merfolk are born with the ability but they have to learn how to use it. Because it’s so potent, there are strict rules governing the use of it as an offensive and defensive weapon. When sea-faring ships were still wind-driven and the merfolk found out human sailors were all male, the mermaids who were the most skilled in the ability used it to lure the sailors away from the merfolk’s homes. If the sailors die in the process, all the better.”

“That’s quite the ability. Have you used it on anyone before?”

“No. It requires a high level of control to balance the Shift between the song of the ocean and the desire to walk and keep it there for any significant amount of time. Takes too much effort and frankly, I find that kind of control distasteful.”

Shepard looked thoughtful as he moved from Kaidan’s lap to his side. “It’s very different from Leviathan’s ability to influence people.”

“It’s still the same: manipulating people like puppets,” Kaidan insisted. “Can we not talk about it? It’s not an ability I’m proud of.”

“Sorry,” Shepard pressed an apologetic kiss against Kaidan’s temple.

“They won’t help in this war, you know.”

“I didn’t say anything about recruiting them for our war efforts.”

Kaidan gave him a flat look. “You were thinking about it, so I’m telling you to drop it. One, they are xenophobic; they’ll welcome our extinction. Two, I’m not sure if their ability to influence people’s minds will work on the Reapers. Three, if in the remote chance they agree to help, it’s their custom to exact a high price for their aid, so high that it negates any benefits gained from receiving their help, so don’t think about recruiting them.”

“All right, I won’t.”

Kaidan searched his lover’s face and assured of his sincerity, leaned into Shepard’s side again.

They soaked in the hot tub for a while longer, then having reached the limit of their tolerance, exited the hot tub and rinsed off. It was late and the heat from the hot water had sunk into their muscles and bones, relaxing them both to the point of sleepiness. Retiring to the bed, they laid down facing each other. In the dimmed light of the table lamp, Kaidan could just about make out the lines of weariness on his lover’s face.

“I was terrified when the clone abducted you,” Shepard said suddenly.

“But you didn’t show it.”

“I couldn’t. It would just make things worse for you.” Shepard reached out and caressed Kaidan’s cheek, running his fingers through his messy hair. “I know you can take care of yourself, but it was still difficult keeping a cool head while you were in the clone’s clutches. Wrex said I fought like a man possessed. I think he meant it as a compliment, but all I thought of was getting you back.”

“I appreciate you coming after me. If our roles are reversed, I’ll come after you too.”

“No matter what?”

“No matter what.”

Shepard’s gaze grew troubled. “Even if it costs you your life?”

“Yes.” Kaidan pressed his fingers against Shepard’s lips, silencing the protest he could see forming. “I mean it, John. I love you and I’ll follow you anywhere. Right to the end, if that’s what it takes to stay with you.”

“That sounds like a promise.”

“It is.”

Shepard’s reciprocating smile was soft and full of affection, though the shadow in his eyes did not go away. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the slight delay. I was polishing it over the weekend because I wasn't satisfied with some of the phrases. 
> 
> It took a long time to define the merfolk's ability to compel people. The idea was inspired by both sailors' stories and Mass Effect. I've noticed there are a few incidents of 'parallel evolution' in Mass Effect and thought the mermaids' ability to effortlessly seduce people could be one such incidents too. Hopefully, it doesn't come across as too farfetched.
> 
> I would love to hear from my readers: sometimes I have a hard time gauging how well-received this story is.


	14. Chapter 14

Kaidan woke up with a start.

For a disorienting moment, he didn’t know where he was, and he reflexively tensed in readiness to fight. Recognition came swiftly though, and he relaxed when he remembered that he was spending the first night of his shore leave in Shepard’s apartment on the Citadel. It was dark but there was just enough light for him to dimly make out the unfamiliar outline of the master bedroom. Hazily, he wondered what woke him, and the answer came to him just as quick. He was alone in bed, hugging Shepard’s pillow and not his lover.

He sighed.

This was not the first time he woke up alone in their shared bed in the middle of the night. It happened more frequently than he cared to remember and every time, he would get up to search for his insomniac lover. He had hoped being on shore leave would help his lover sleep better but clearly, he had hoped in vain.

Tugging on a pair of sweatpants and blinking the sleep from his eyes, Kaidan heaved himself up from their bed and headed off on his search. The floor was cold beneath his bare feet and by the time he reached the ground floor, he was wide awake. The two sitting areas were empty, though the fireplace was still burning. Looking around, Kaidan spotted a spill of light radiating from deeper inside the apartment and realized that his lover must be in the private living room that doubled as an office.

He was silent as he padded through the apartment, silent as he paused at the doorway and gazed at the slumped brooding form of his lover seated behind his desk, his head propped up on a hand. Shepard was just in his boxer briefs and he was visibly, painfully exhausted but more than that, the haunted look on his face pierced Kaidan’s heart with all the deadliness of a gunshot.

For a moment, Kaidan let the resentment he held against the Reapers and the war burned through him. He hated the Reapers for what they were doing, the war for the toll it took on his lover. He hated the burden Shepard shouldered without a complaint because that was the kind of man he was: he saw a task that needed to be done and he took up the responsibility without hesitation. He hated the people who accused Shepard of being a glory-seeker. They did not know the man, did not know how much he had sacrificed protecting those who couldn’t protect themselves, his willingness and bravery to make the hard calls so others did not have to. They did not realize doing good rarely involved making easy, black-and-white decisions and were content to criticize Shepard from the safety of anonymity.

Then, Kaidan took a breath and expelled it and the resentment in a long quiet exhale. Resenting the war was not going to help. One day, he’d make peace with his resentment, but not now. Now, his lover needed a rock to lean against.

“Hey,” he greeted as he stepped through the doorway.

Shepard looked up and smiled wanly, “Hey.”

He reached out a hand and Kaidan took it, allowing his lover to pull him closer. There were an empty whiskey glass and a datapad on the desk – a blinking light indicated that it had a fresh recording – but Kaidan ignored the items and leaned back against the edge of the desk and between Shepard’s thighs. His lover scooted close, wrapped his arms around Kaidan’s hips and buried his face against Kaidan’s belly.

In return, Kaidan draped his arms about his lover’s head and shoulders. “Nightmares again?

Shepard nodded against his stomach.

“The one with the boy and the shadow people?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Shepard lifted his gaze to Kaidan’s. “I want you to distract me.”

“John-”

“Distract me, Kaidan.”

There was an unspoken plea in his lover’s words, a quiet need that could only be felt, not heard. Kaidan couldn’t ignore it. If Shepard wanted to be distracted, then he would distract him.

Lowering his head and cupping Shepard’s face, he pressed their mouths together. Without hesitation, Shepard opened his mouth and gave him entry. It was a long, passionate kiss even as he urged Shepard to his feet. Running his hands down Shepard’s bare chest and around his waist, Kaidan turned them around so that it was now his lover leaning against his desk.

“Do you remember the first time we bunked together?” Kaidan asked against Shepard’s skin as he peppered kisses down his jawline and neck.

Shepard’s head tipped back, and he closed his eyes, savouring the feel of his biotic lover’s stubbles rubbing delightfully against the sensitive skin of his neck. “How can I forget? You were spectacular.”

Kaidan couldn’t help but preen.

“I remember admiring you sleeping in my bunk and thinking that I was a very lucky man.”

“Do you want to know what went through my mind when I woke up and found you leaning against your desk, watching me sleep?”

“What?”

“I thought: ‘one day I’m going to make love to you on it.’” Kaidan smiled a smile that was at once self-conscious, embarrassed and full of heat. “You’re not the only one to fantasize about desk sex.”

Not taking his gaze off Kaidan, Shepard pushed aside the datapad and whiskey glass and sat on his desk, spreading his thighs and resting back on his hands. He smiled when he saw Kaidan’s eyes darkened with passion. “We’re not on the Normandy, but I’m sure we can do something about your fantasy.”

Growling a little, Kaidan grabbed and pulled Shepard towards him and took his mouth in a bruising kiss. Their hands were everywhere, stroking and caressing, and Kaidan reached up and played with his lover’s nipples while planting open-mouth kisses down the column of his neck. He bit Shepard at his sensitive pulse point, blood rushing to his ears when he heard his lover let out a groan of pleasure. Then he was lapping at his lover’s nipple, holding the small nub of flesh delicately between his teeth while flicking his tongue over it.

Shepard shuddered and moaned and brought up one hand to cradle his head close. “Shit, that feels good.”

Kaidan smirked and ran his hands further down his lover’s torso. He followed with his kisses until he was mouthing and lapping at the bulge in Shepard’s boxer briefs. Breathing hard, Shepard leaned back and raised his hips, letting Kaidan pulled off his boxer briefs. His erection sprang free and rested against his belly and Kaidan’s mouth went dry at the sight of his naked lover sprawled so invitingly before him.

“You are without a doubt the most attractive man I’ve ever met,” Kaidan said reverently.

Flushing under Kaidan’s admiring gaze, Shepard leaned back a little more and spread his thighs wider. His smile widened when he heard Kaidan’s breath hitched. “What are you going to do to this very attractive man now?”

Kaidan showed him instead.

He loved the surprised gasp that left his lover as he took Shepard into his mouth and down his throat in a single move. He never got tired of going down on Shepard; he loved the taste and heavy feel of his lover in his mouth, loved feeling Shepard’s hips moving in response under his hands as he pleasured him.

He moaned around Shepard’s dick when he felt his lover pressing down on his head. For a moment, he was tempted to let Shepard set the pace, but tonight was all about distracting him and Kaidan had an idea he wanted to try out. He tugged Shepard’s hand away and released him from his mouth. Ignoring Shepard’s small groan of dismay, Kaidan snaked his hands under Shepard’s thighs and urged him to lift his legs.

“Lay down on the desk,” he instructed, his voice made raspier from his blowjob. He helped his lover to bend his legs back and hold them against his chest. The move exposed Shepard’s most intimate parts to Kaidan’s gaze and he felt his dick grew harder at the sight.

He smiled at Shepard and asked, “have you ever had this done to you?” and then he parted Shepard’s cheeks and licked.

Shepard’s immediate shout of pleasure was gratifying to hear. Kaidan had never rimmed anyone, but he had it done to him before and he knew how mind-blowing it could feel. He buried his face in the crevice of Shepard’s ass and began to eat out his lover with an eagerness that surprised even himself. He licked across Shepard’s puckered hole, nibbled the edges and drilled his tongue into Shepard’s hole. For long minutes, there was nothing but Shepard’s taste and smell, and Shepard’s very vocal appreciation of his attention. Beneath his hands, his lover squirmed and shuddered, moaning out garbled praises and Kaidan did not want to stop. He was addicted to Shepard and all he wanted to do was to drown himself in his lover’s taste and smell. He almost did not notice when Shepard reached for his own erection.

“No touching yourself, John.” Kaidan quickly pushed Shepard’s hand away, placed it back on the desk.

Shepard panted out a curse, but he did as he was told. “I didn’t know you knew how to do that.”

“A man got to have his secrets.”

Shepard let out a shaky chuckle. “Any more secrets like that and I think you’ll be the death of me. But what a way to go.”

Kaidan smirked. He rose to his feet, took off his own boxer briefs and stood before Shepard, one hand stroking his own hard-on. “I don’t suppose you have lube here?”

“Top drawer.”

Kaidan had barely fished out the small tube of lube when Shepard sat up and impatiently pulled him closer by his hips.

“My turn,” Shepard said just before he took Kaidan’s erection into his mouth.

Groaning, Kaidan cupped a hand about Shepard’s head and for long moments, lost himself in the pleasure of Shepard’s skills. He gasped and shivered when his lover licked the sensitive spot under the head of his dick, couldn’t help thrusting when Shepard took him down his throat. His lover possessed a talented tongue and Kaidan soon had to force himself to stop Shepard or risk coming.

“Put your legs around me,” he said as he leaned down and over Shepard. Beneath him, Shepard’s face was full of anticipation, his blue eyes gone dark and dilated with arousal. Squeezing lube onto his fingers, Kaidan coated his erection and guided it to Shepard’s wet and ready hole.

They both moaned out loud when Kaidan breached Shepard’s hole. Kaidan slowly pushed in, never taking his gaze off his lover whose face went slack with pleasure. Taking his time, he pulled out and then pushed in again little by little, sinking deep into Shepard. It had been some time since his lover last took the submissive role and it showed in the tightness clenching all around him. Kaidan struggled to keep the slow pace, the last thing he wanted was to hurt Shepard. Finally, he was hilted to his balls and Kaidan buried his face in Shepard’s neck, breathing in deeply to hold onto his control.

“You feel so good,” he said through clenched teeth against Shepard’s ear.

“So do you,” Shepard tightened his legs around Kaidan’s waist. “Move, Kaidan.”

Kaidan breathed deeply and lifted his head. He took Shepard’s hands in his and pushed them up until they were over his lover’s head and he was bracing himself up on his forearms. Without breaking their gazes, he began to move, slowly at first, then quicker as passion surged and they lost themselves to it. In very little time, they were moving together in an urgent rhythm.

It didn’t take long for Shepard to reach his climax, but Kaidan hastily reached down with one hand and squeezed the base of his own erection and staved off his orgasm. He didn’t stop moving and he watched with avaricious pleasure his lover being overwhelmed by pleasure and spilling across his own belly. When Shepard finally went limp, he pulled out, taking a deep breath to steady his own arousal.

“You didn’t come,” Shepard clumsily reached for him but Kaidan stepped back.

“I’m not done with you yet, John.” Kaidan tugged Shepard onto his feet and he was briefly distracted by the sight of his very handsome naked lover standing there with his own come staining his belly. “There’s something I want to find out and we need the bed for it.”

Though he had climaxed, Kaidan could see how his words affected his lover by the brief tightening of his abdominal muscles.

“What do you want to find out?” Shepard asked.

Not bothering to redress, Kaidan turned to leave, throwing a coy smile over his shoulder. “For starters, how many times can I make you come?”

* * *

It was almost dawn when the lovers were finally sated.

Shepard sprawled bonelessly and half-across Kaidan, finally sleeping the deep sleep of the truly exhausted. His arm wrapped loosely about his lover’s broad shoulders, Kaidan smiled tiredly at the way his lover’s face was smooshed up against his chest. It was comical and he knew he wouldn’t get away without being drooled on, but he didn’t mind.

Kaidan had spent hours making love to Shepard, using every technique he knew to take his lover apart and made him orgasm three more times, before losing control of himself and took Shepard hard and fast, urging him to a final climax. It had been explosive, and Shepard was so wrung out that he promptly dropped off to sleep, leaving Kaidan to clean up and put them to bed. He didn’t mind; he was absurdly pleased and proud of himself. Shepard had wanted to be distracted and he had done just that. If Shepard could remain asleep for a full eight hours without being bothered by nightmares, he’d considered his job well done.

This was a good start to their shore leave, but it would take more than just a night of vigorous sex to help Shepard to relax and rest.

Making sure the light of his omni-tool was dimmed, Kaidan tapped out a quick message to Joker. With the pilot and – because he knew Joker could never keep a secret – the rest of their friends’ help, he would make sure that Shepard gets his rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of arc II. Hope you guys have enjoyed the ride so far.
> 
> I'll be taking a break to write arc III. No idea how long that will take me though. I have an idea but I really need time and energy to write it out. Wish me luck!


End file.
